Extending grace instead of labelling enemies

According to a recent Wall Street Journal-Norc poll, the smallest percentage of Americans (12 percent) said they were “very happy” since 1972. These “very happy” people share a number of common traits. They are more likely to value community, personal relationships and marriage, above things like careers and money. They are also more likely to believe in God, and be older females in their retirement years.

People who are actively involved in church are also, statistically, more likely to be older females who believe in God and value community, marriage and personal relationships. Is there a connection? Does church involvement make us happier?

According to the Pew Research Center, it does. Some researchers have also noted that the decline in happiness levels in North America, over the past 50 years, coincides with the decline in church participation. Studies have also shown regular church attenders tend to live longer, even though they’re not necessarily physically any healthier. In fact, some studies report highly religious people in America have higher rates of obesity.

Regular church involvement may not make people physically healthier, which is something we might want to explore, but it’s a factor in experiencing higher levels of happiness and well-being. I think the primary reason for this is that church involvement strengthens and deepens our relationships with God, other people and ourselves. Healthy, loving relationships are what the way of Jesus is about. The Greatest Commandments, after all, are to love God with your whole being and love other people as yourself.

This all sounds great, but it makes me wonder. If church participation increases our happiness and quality of life, why is church attendance in decline? And why do so many church members seem to be . . . um, kind of grumpy? (This last question is based on an observation repeated to me from many people, both inside and outside the church.)

There are no simple answers to such questions. There are many factors, though. One is that churches are prone to making secondary things our “main thing.” We lose our primary focus of deepening relationships with God, one another and our neighbours—which includes our enemies and us. Instead, we focus on what and who we stand for, and what and who we stand against. I see this happening in many churches, both on the right and the left.

I understand the need to “stand for something.” It’s an important ingredient in developing and sustaining a movement, and the church is definitely called to be a movement.

Unfortunately, another important ingredient in sustaining a movement is to name a common enemy. It’s interesting that it doesn’t matter who a movement labels as “the problem.” Any scapegoat, guilty or innocent, will do.

What strengthens a movement is naming an enemy that somehow represents the primary problem or threat to those in the movement. Once a movement identifies a common enemy, it builds momentum and allegiance among its followers, as long as the common enemy poses a threat.

This often requires “prophetic pundits” and “spinmeisters” to perpetuate the perception that the threat of the enemy is real. In doing so, the movement builds a sense of pseudo-community, based on fear, suspicion, judgment, self-righteousness, self-protection and even hatred, which are all virtues that Jesus extols for his church. I jest.

This is not at all the kind of movement Jesus inaugurated. There is a reason he and the New Testament authors repeatedly announced that:

• Our enemy is not human;
• Our enemy has already been defeated; and
• The real battle is internal, in our own hearts and minds.

One thing that makes the movement of Christ different is that it’s not a rally against a common enemy group. It’s a movement of allowing the power of love to break through the illusion of division and separation. The Gospel proclaims that in Christ there is no longer an “us vs. them” mentality. The Body of Christ is called to embody this new reality, with former “enemies” from “warring tribes” participating in the same community, all focusing on strengthening and deepening healthy relationships with one another, our neighbours and God.

The Jesus movement was, and is, intended to be joyful, loving people in community, extending grace to all.

This last part is important but sorely missing in our current social landscape. As Christians, extending grace is supposed to be our niche in the “market” of religion and spirituality.

Troy Watson (troy@avonchurch.ca) is a pastor of Avon Church in Stratford, Ont.

Read more Life in the Postmodern Shift columns:
Many Christians do not believe the Holy Spirit is real
The pendulum, Hegel and Christ
The complexity and simplicity of Christian unity
Makin’ space
Who is my Samaritan?